Skírnir - 01.04.2004, Síða 39

SKÍRNIR
SIÐFRÆÐILEG ORÐRÆÐA ...
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Schottmann, Hans. 1989. „Die Geschichte von Hrafnkell und Sim. Beobacht-
ungen zur Erzahlweise einer Islandersaga." Festschrift Ulrich Groenke. Ham-
borg, 117-137.
Schlaffer, Heinz. 2002. Die kurze Geschichte der deutschen Literatur. Miinchen og
Vín.
Scovazzi, Marco. 1960. La saga di Hrafnkell e il problema delle saghe islandesi.
Arona.
Sigurður Nordal (ritstj.). 1933. Egils saga Skalla-Grímssonar. íslenzk fornrit II.
Reykjavík.
Sigurður Nordal. 1940. Hrafnkatla. Studia Islandica 7. Reykjavík.
Sundman, Per Olof. 1977. Berdttelsen om Sám. Stokkhólmi.
Thomas, R. George. 1973. „Men and society in Hrafnkels saga Freysgoða."
Proceedings of the First International Saga Conference. Edinborg, 411-434.
Vad, Poul. 1994. Nordfor Vatnajokel. Kaupmannahöfn.
van den Toorn, Maarten. 1955. Ethics and Moral in Icelandic Saga Literature. Diss.
Leiden.
Vésteinn Ólason. 1999. „Gísli Súrsson - a flawless or flawed hero?“ Die Aktualitdt
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Summary
It is beyond doubt that the Icelandic Family Sagas (and mostþœttir) contain a grea-
ter or smaller portion of material transmitted over the ages, either orally and per-
haps in writing as well, possibly originating in part from as early as the 8th cen-
tury. This article, however, focuses on the sagas as literary artifacts of an
editor/author of the early or late 13th century that reflect his intentions and the
ethicai and political discourses of his time. In particular, Gísla saga Súrssonar, one
chapter of Egils saga Skallagrímssonar, Þorsteins þáttr stangarhöggs, and above all
Hrafnkels saga Freysgoða, are thus analysed. The tendencies of individual texts are
described and contrasted with each other. It becomes clear, for example, that Þor-
steinsþáttr advocates a social order modelled on hierarchic feudalism. A new inter-
pretation of Hrafnkels saga is also suggested, resolving the apparent contradictions
in the saga (e.g. Hrafnkell’s killing of Eyvindr) with a proposed social order based
on a reformed goðaveldi (rule of the chieftains), i. e., a hereditary goðaveldi with-
out any religious component, concorporating the obligations of the goði towards
his clientele and the right to pre-emptive strikes against persons potentially
dangerous to the existing political order.